Save Me Tonight
by AiriaMurillo
Summary: Ealdor is under threat once again by Morgana. Merlin goes off to save his home village from the powerful witch. Can he do it on his own or will he need the King of Camelot to save him? (Bad description I know)


_**Hey guys, this is my first Merlin fan fiction on here so excuse me if it is crap or anything. It is a boy x boy and it is a Merthur. If you get confused, tell me in the reviews and I will explain it the best that I can. I am not new to fan fiction writing, but I am new to writing in the Merlin fandom. This might not strictly follow cannon, but I will try my best. I also kept Lancelot cause why not. **_

_**Therefore, here is Save Me Tonight.**_

Merlin ran back to Ealdor as fast as his legs would carry him. His mother and the other villagers were in trouble and needed him he could feel it. He never really cared that most of the villagers hate him because he has magic and they feel like he is a monster, he saved their lives before and he was going to do it again, not matter what the cost may be. He heard Arthur Pendragon, the King of Camelot calls his name and that he should come back, but like always, he ignored him. Merlin's mother was and still is the only blood related family he has left, and he was not going to stand by and let anyone change that. He loves his mum too much to let her die until it was of natural causes at an old age.

His dad left before he was born, and he was killed not long after meeting his only son. Merlin was used to being the only child. Arthur understood part of it, he grew up without his mum and his dad died not long ago. The reason Uther died was because of his daughter, Arthur's half-sister Morgana. She hated her father because under his rule, magic was outlawed, and she is a high priestess of the old religion. She was on the good side however; her magic corrupted her and turned her evil. Her plan is to destroy Ealdor so Merlin would not be able to use his magic to save Arthur from the fate that awaits the young king, as he will be in too much grief.

Merlin stopped in his tracks, he made it before Morgana and her army. He sighed in relief. He walked through his village to his house. His mother Hunith was sweeping when she heard someone come towards her and when she looked up, she was happy to see that it was her son. "Merlin, my baby boy!" she exclaimed, running to her son to give him a hug. "Mother." Merlin said cheerfully and returned the hug. She led her son into their small home and made him sit down at their small dining table. She saw how exhausted her son looked and went to make him a drink. "My boy what brings you back so soon?" She asked. Merlin and Arthur were there less than a few days ago for a visit. Arthur had finally caught up and was waiting by the door.

Merlin could not see the king as he back was facing the door, but his mother could, and she motioned for him to come in without Merlin seeing. "Morgana is going to attack here soon." Merlin said quietly. He heard one more gasp than he should of, so he turned around and there was Arthur. "Sire, what are you doing here?" Merlin asked, in shock. The king wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be going back to Camelot where everything was fine. "I saw you sprint off, so I came to see if you are okay." Arthur said. The magic ban was only just revoked in Camelot a few days ago however, the king only lets his most trusted people use it. Merlin was one of those people. Although he does not show it often, King Arthur cares greatly for his manservant.

"I'm fine, Morgana should be here in a few hours maybe a day." Merlin said, still slightly out of breath from the running. "Why the maybe part?" His mother asked confused, this would be the third time the small village has been attacked. "It all depends on how quick her army moves through wherever they start from to get here." Arthur said. Arthur wondered what is going to happen in the battle. He also wondered if Merlin was going to fight Morgana. "Merlin are you going to-" Arthur started but trailed off because he could not bear to say it, Merlin understood. "Yes, I am the only one powerful enough to match her strength." Merlin said. His mother gasped. "Merlin, you can't do that, what if she has more than one sorcerer on her team." His mother said. Neither of them wanted him to fight her.

"I am the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived, chances are it is just Morgana." Merlin said. They discovered that even though Mordred wanted to be a knight and let his druid part disappear, Morgana's offer was too good to resist. They had to kill the druid even though it hurt them so much to do so, he was a traitor to Camelot, therefore he must be punished. "Merlin, you can't what if you don't make it." Arthur protested; he really didn't want Merlin to do this. "The worst she could do to me would be a major injury or poison me, which I won't die of as a result." Merlin said. Arthusia, Merlin's youngest dragon decided that it was her time to come in and sort some things out. It was Morgana's fault that she can't talk but she can mentally communicate with Merlin.

"_Merlin, would you like me to fetch the other knights, they could help with the army __she__ might have." _The dragon said into Merlin's mind. He smiled and stroked her chin. _"That would be a great idea except, how would you carry them all and get them to get on to you?" _Merlin replied mentally. The young dragon paused in thought for a few moments. She wanted to repay Merlin for saving her and giving her a better life. _"You could write a message and I deliver it, as for the first point, Killgarrah could help for the second." _She replied. _"What do I have to do now?" _the slightly grumpy older dragon said as he joined the conversation. This was now beginning to take its toll on Merlin. He was not used to this and it takes energy to keep up the conversation. Energy he does not have.

"_Morgana is going to attack Ealdor to try and prevent me saving Arthur's life, he needs some of the knights to come and help," _the warlock said. The great dragon is used to Merlin only calling him when he was needed. Merlin wasn't exactly great at keeping the relationship up with his estranged mentor. _"Ah, so you need me and Arthusia to carry the knights over here, so they are ready." _The oldest dragon said. Merlin knew that he was going to pass out soon, he needed the conversation to end, so he could get his strength at its max quickly. Morgana was going to be here soon, but he wanted to rest and feel prepared while the knights fight off anyone else, she had recruited to fight for her.

"_Yes, please I don't want Arthur or anyone else here to die unnecessarily." _Merlin said. While this was going on Arthur saw Merlin was swaying slightly, he panicked. "Hunith what is going on?" he asked. "Merlin is in a deep mental conversation with the dragons, I can feel it, but they don't want me involved in it." Merlin's mother answered, she was worried. A mother knows everything about their child, even if they don't want her to be involved with it. "Why is he swaying?" Arthur asked. "He is using up a lot of energy and he is already tired from running all the way here, if the conversation does not end soon then he will pass out." Hunith whispered, she did not want the dragon to hear in case it was an important chat that she should not interrupt. Back in the mental conversation, Merlin knew it was nearly over, but he cannot stay awake for too much longer.

"_Alright Merlin, we will get the knights, no need for a message young one I can talk." _the older dragon said. _"I hate to have to rush you, but Morgana could attack here at any moment and I bet Arthur would like to be ready and prepared for it." _Merlin said. He was using the last of his energy now and he was ready to fall unconscious, but he really did not want that because he wanted to be ready for her._ "Okay young warlock, we understand how much this village means to you, we will be an hour tops." _The older dragon said. _"Arthusia take care, I don't want Morgana to get her hands on you again, it nearly killed me last time, I don't think I could handle it again." _Merlin said using the last of his energy. The only energy keeping him from going out cold was that of the dragons.

"_I will father." _Arthusia said, if a dragon could cheekily wink like their human allies then she would definitely be doing so. _"Hey, now you make me feel old." _Merlin said, this whole Dragonlord business was quite new to him when it came to the younger dragon. He had met the great dragon in a cave underneath the castle and he was already old by that time. _ "Come on let's go and Merlin rest now, I can sense this has taken its toll on you." _The older dragon said before leaving. At this point Merlin had fallen backwards and Arthur had only just caught him before his body hit the ground. Then the younger dragon left, leaving Merlin to go limp in his master's arms as he passed out.

Arthur carried Merlin to his bed and waited for him to recover. Merlin's mother watched from a distance. She heard stories of kings and queens greatly mistreating their servants. This was a prime example of the opposite. She smiled at how close the boys had gotten since she first met Arthur as a bratty, arrogant prince, he is now a great friend and king. She had seen if from the first time she had seen her son interact with the then Prince of Camelot. Arthur knew how much Ealdor meant to Merlin and came with him to rescue them from the bandits and Kanen when he was taking their harvest. He even said that he would not kill Merlin's friend for being a sorcerer even though the male had died from the injury he received saving Arthur's live shortly after.

She worried for her son, how much that conversation with his dragons affected his energy levels. She remembered how Balinor, Merlin's father told her how if they had a son and he became dragon lord that he should not mentally talk to two dragons at once if he was tired, it would leave him worn out and it was highly likely that he would pass out. Merlin was so tired from running here. It must have been half an hour or an hour later when she heard the beats of wings. Merlin was still unconscious; his mother knows he nearly has all his energy back but not yet. Arthur heard footsteps approach the house and drew his sword to protect Merlin and his mother. "Hey princess calm down; it is only us." Gwaine said as he entered, followed by Percival, Leon, Lancelot and Elyan.

"Sorry but with Morgana and her army on the way we can't be too careful." Arthur said. "What happened to Merlin?" Percival asked. The relationship the knights of the round table had with Merlin was one which was similar to Arthur's, they could not quite put their finger on it, but they all cared about him a lot and would do anything to protect him. They consider themselves to be like brothers, but not related. It was nice for Merlin and the others who had grown up as only children to have those familiar figures in their lives. The close bond between the men and women had a good impact on their teamwork skills as they were more successful then unsuccessful in any missions they had.

"He was talking with the dragons and used a lot of energy; he will be fine." Merlin's mother said calmly, she did not want anyone else to stress out. Arthur's sword was back in its sheath, as he relaxed. "Sire, Morgana's army will be here in a day." Leon said, taking on the duty of informing everyone and trying to get them to focus on not dying in the next 24 hours. "Okay Leon, we shall go outside to prepare. "Arthur said and the other knights left leaving Percival, Merlin and Hunith alone in the small hut that she calls her home. She was worried that many of them would not appreciate the little she had to offer, but of course they were grateful for anything she had to offer.

Arthur smiled at the pair, he liked how Merlin and Percival got closer after they found out Merlin had magic and how many times, he has saved them with said magic. He always wanted his knights to forget any prejudice they had against magic users for Merlin's sake. "Percival, are you going to be okay like that? I can always get you a chair." Hunith asked. "Umm, can I have a chair please?" Percival asked. He felt like a fool, but his legs would hurt if he stayed like he was for too long. "Of course, you can." his mother said. While he was waiting Percival ruffled the youngest of the group's hair slightly. It was just his way of reassuring himself that everything was okay.

Hunith returned with the chair and Percival sat on it. It was now only a matter of time and patience before Merlin wakes up. The others were sparring outside while they still had time. Hunith was making them all dinner and setting up some cots in the living space. It was going to be cramped, but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. She would give her son and his friends anything to make sure they were comfortable in her home. Nothing happened, all the knights, the king and Merlin's mother were getting worried. Just exactly how much energy had the conversation taken out of the young warlock? Would he wake up in time to fight Morgana as her armies advanced closer to the small village? Or would this be the one fight he would have to miss?

Their questions were answered soon enough. Merlin was beginning to wake up. Granted it took some time, but he needed his energy levels to be at their maximum. "Hey Merlin." Percival said softly, a tone he rarely used on anyone. "Hey Percival." Merlin said quietly. "Are you okay now?" Percival asked. They knew it was going to be a difficult fight ahead. None of them really know what a fight between two of the most powerful magical people would be like. "Don't worry about me, I will be fine." Merlin replied. He has more confidence than them that he would be fine, but he might not have the same confidence levels when the time comes.

Then Percival decided to get up and tell Arthur and quickly train before Morgana arrives in the next day or so. Merlin sat on his bed read through his book of spells to learn the right ones he may need for defeating a high priestess, sadly it won't be anything like the time he defeated Nimueh. There was a lot of luck involved. Morgana keeps growing more powerful every time they encounter her, and it was getting annoying, but at that point Merlin's magical abilities were hidden from them so they had no way of defeating her. Thankfully Merlin's powers were stronger than hers so he would defeat her easily if he used the right spells.

The day soon turned into evening and they all had an amazing dinner courtesy of Hunith. Arthur and Merlin decide to go on a walk and sit on an old felled tree. "Merlin, I don't think you should take on Morgana by yourself tomorrow," Arthur says. Merlin smiles at Arthur. It was nice to see the slightly older one care. "Well, I am not going to be alone, am I? You are going to be there just not fighting her you clotpole," Merlin says, bringing back some of the banter to calm down the situation a little bit. Arthur smiles, but Merlin's joke did little to ease his nerves completely. He still didn't want the two to face off against each other tomorrow.

If you were an outsider looking in, then you would think that it was because the king wanted all the glory of the battle. If you actually knew the king and his manservant, then you would know it was because deep down Arthur could not bear to lose Merlin. Arthur had many servants over the years, it comes with the role and you never know who would be next. He had to admit that Merlin was the best manservant he has ever had and would not want to replace him with anyone. He had a temporary replacement one time called George and he hated it the entire time. The brass jokes wore a bit thin after the first day and he was more than happy when his servant returned.

"Just promise me that if you need help that you will accept it," Arthur says, they had been sitting there for a little while considering what they were about to say next. If Arthur got that promise from Merlin, then it would make him feel a lot more comfortable about facing Morgana and her army in the morning or whenever they turn up. "I promise if I can't defeat her on my own then I will ask you for help," Merlin says. It had the desired effect as Arthur was more comfortable as they walked back to the little hut that Merlin grew up in. They need all the sleep they can get for the battle is yet to come. You could say what you wanted to about Morgana, but you could not say that she was not either persistent or determined to get what she wants.

Hunith couldn't sleep. She often had sleepless nights; it came with the job of being a mother. Tonight was no different as she watched her son sleep on the bedroom floor. She also often worried about how his magic would influence the situation and how people would see him. His magic has always been used for the greater good. It was times like this which she wished that she could talk to Gaius, get some advice on how to keep my son safe during that battle that is to come. However, Gaius is all the way back in Camelot and with the speediest horse that Arthur owns she would not get the before the battle had begun. Her letter would take even more time.

Gwen woke up to see Hunith still awake. "You should get some rest Hunith," she says, startling the woman slightly. It had been quiet with everyone being asleep. Gwen gets up to sit next to Hunith. "I'll be fine Gwen. I'll rest when the boys come home safe from the battle," she says. It was something that Gwen was hoping she would not say, then again she could not persuade Hunith to go to sleep even if she wanted to. Merlin had to get his stubbornness from someone after all. Who better to get your best traits from than your mother? "Then I will stay by your side," Gwen says, and Hunith smiles. It is better than being alone and worrying about the long battle ahead.

Arthur had opted not to train the men and women how to fight again. Those who remembered him were there when Kanen attacked so the skills would still be there even if they haven't used those skills in a while. If they helped defend their village than Arthur was not going to stop them. It is their home that Morgana has chosen to attack for the reason of it would draw Merlin and Arthur there and if she could kill them both it would be killing two birds with one stone. Her throne in Camelot will be uncontested if she was successful. If she failed then her fate would be the same as Mordred's. They would both have died for their greed.

Hunith walks over to her son and kisses him tenderly on the forehead. He remains asleep but she could see the smallest smile form on her son's face. She hopes that they could have one more day of preparation, but she knows Morgana would not be so kind to them as they would be to her. She wouldn't think that the knights would be at their side so quickly so it will only be just Merlin and Arthur to fight. Oh how wrong she will be when the fight comes. The men stay asleep as the women start preparing breakfast. Who knows how much time she will give them today before the fight starts? Something tells the women that it is not going to be long.

Merlin was the first of the boys to wake up. He could smell his mother's cooking and he knew that it was going to be a good breakfast. "Mother, you could have slept last night you know," Merlin says. He knew as soon as he saw his mother that she had no sleep. He also said a similar thing to Gwen although he knew she had some sleep because he fell asleep after she did. He didn't want the impending fight to be the cause of the women not to sleep. Leon was the next one awake followed by Lancelot. Arthur was the next one after those two followed by Elyan, Percival and lastly Gwaine. They all ate the breakfast in a comfortable silence. Then Leon went on patrol to see if he could spot Morgana.

After a few minutes Elyan and Percival went with him, just in case Morgana saw him and decided to attack. There was a risk that the three of them could be killed before the main battle begins, but they were all willing to take the chance. They would gladly lay down their lives to protect Arthur. They would even do it for Merlin, Gwen and Hunith. It might seem strange, but they are like a strange mismatched family unit and they would do anything to protect the other. Even Hunith would look after her son's friends even if she could not really fight like they could. In her mind making them meals or cleaning their clothes was better than doing nothing.

Arthur decided to give Merlin the quickest lesson on sword fighting the younger male would ever receive in his life. Arthur wanted to give him an opportunity to learn something which could help him should magic fail him. He knows that Morgana knows her way around a sword but now that she knows magic she doesn't really use one which could be used to their advantage. Although, that being said they can't be too careless with that theory. They know that Agravaine betrayed them and may have advised Morgana to reconsider her current battle tactics as she faces the knights. Agravaine had died before he could reveal that Merlin had powers and was the man who Druids keep calling Emrys. It is not known if Mordred has revealed Merlin's hidden identity to Morgana before he died or not.

Hunith watched from the doorway as her son aced his brief sword fighting lesson. He swore to not use magic to fight Arthur as part of their promise to each other. Arthur would not kill Merlin and he would reintroduce magic if Merlin never used the magic for evil or to hurt him in anyway. Hunith never thought that she would see her son use a sword so confidently. Sure she has seen him use the sword multiple times in his life, but never this confidently. If there was ever a position for him to be a knight of the round table she was sure that Arthur would give him that position. If anyone showed the braveness, loyalty and fearless qualities a knight should have then her son was the perfect candidate.

"Maybe I should start letting you join in battles more with swords Merlin," Arthur says. They had paused when Leon and the others returned from their patrol. By now the villagers had been made aware of what was occurring and were given the option to participate in the fight or flee to the nearby caves for safety. "I'll see how I feel by the end of this battle," Merlin replies, sure it would be a good idea to not rely upon magic so much but at the same time it is a good safety barrier. "Sire, Morgana will be here at nightfall," Leon reports, which everyone was grateful for. At least they had a little more time to prepare. Arthur was sure some of the spare armour and chainmail they had would fit Merlin's slim frame.

The villagers strangely were not angry that there was yet another fight about to commence in their small village. Arthur helped them so much over the years, so they felt like some repayment was due. They also hoped their loyalty will pay off and they would become part of Camelot. The women who didn't want to fight, the elders and children all packed their things to get to safety. It was not worth risking their lives with an enemy as powerful as Morgana. It is a lot more dangerous then when Kanen was about to attack. He might have been a savage bandit, but he did not have any magic powers. He was easily defeated with a good sword.

Arthur has the best sword in all of the kingdoms. He has Excalibur and that is the most powerful sword ever made thanks to Merlin. Arthur thinks it could help if the battle goes a bit pear shaped. He has a big confession planned for when the battle was over. He needed Merlin to live in order to do it though. This was going to be something completely unheard of in the kingdom, but Arthur felt as though he couldn't ignore how he feels any longer. They need to survive the battle which they were slowly but surely feeling more prepared for. Leon was trying to come up with an adequate battle plan to keep the villagers as safe as they could be without too many casualties.

The last thing the King needs for his reputation is that the enemy of the king caused too many villagers to lose their lives because the king chose to fight them there instead of in Camelot's courtyard. Arthur had already apologised to them for what was to come, but there was nothing more he could do or say. They have chosen to stand with him, and he couldn't deny them. Arthur took Merlin back to his house to put the armour on and prepare. The dragons were gone, it was too risky for them to be there because Morgana could do something to them. Although, they would come as soon as Merlin would call for them because that was their job.

The armour looked strange on Merlin's skinny frame, but it was better than his servant outfit. Arthur liked the outfit; it was his signature blue shirt and red neckerchief. You'd know it was Merlin instantly. Merlin looked to Hunith who smiled at her son. She was totally biased in that moment and thought that her son could be one of the best knights around. "Looking good there Merlin," Gwaine says. Merlin smiles, he never thought he would have so many friends after he revealed his magic to them. He had so many nightmares about them finding out and sentencing him to death for it. Uther's opinion on it had been burned into everyone's brains.

"Thanks Gwaine. Not looking too bad yourself," Merlin says, earning what seemed to be a jealous look from Arthur. It couldn't have been though; Arthur is never jealous of anyone. It was a good thing that only Hunith noticed. Hunith decided to ask Arthur to help her with something so she could figure it out. There wouldn't be anything wrong if her son went out with the king of Camelot. Merlin and Gwaine would be oblivious to this as they focus on sparring each other nearby. "Jealousy doesn't suit you Arthur," Hunith says, they were watching the two boys spar. "I'm not sure what you mean," Arthur replies, trying to deny everything he knew she knew.

"You know what I mean. Gwaine is not about to ask Merlin out," Hunith says. If Arthur had a drink, he would have spit it out in shock. His mother died at birth so he didn't know anything about how much a mother can know about their child by looking at them. "Are you sure?" Arthur asks, suddenly doubting himself. At least he could confide in her. They watched as Gwaine pretended to be mortally wounded and Merlin grinned in victory. "I'm sure, a mother knows these things. When the time is right you and Merlin will be happy together," Hunith says. Arthur is happy to have the guidance of Hunith at this tricky time of his life. He would have had his mother to guide him if things were a lot different.

"Are you sure you don't want to promote Merlin to a knight?" Leon asks, it has been half an hour and Merlin had legitimately won 2 more spar fights. Gwaine had let Merlin win the first one to get his confidence up. He knew Merlin was nervous about everything behind the happy, bubbly façade he put up for people. He had to be the one who radiated hope even if he wasn't feeling as hopeful himself on the inside. Arthur looked to Merlin then to Leon. "I'm sure, maybe if there was another servant as good as him I would consider it," Arthur replies. He would have to start looking for a new servant anyway if his plan worked out. He wants Merlin to stay close to him. They would have to stop sparing soon anyway because they need all the energy for the battle they have ahead of them.

They found themselves with some time before Morgana arrived so they all sat around a small campfire with weapons at the ready. They had been talking with some of the villagers to get an idea of what the thoughts and feeling of these poor people were. A lot of them were afraid, but a lot of them were ready and willing to defend their friends and family to defeat Morgana once and for all. There were a lot of mixed feelings about it as well because Morgana was there and helped them when Kanen attacked. It was going to be weird to fight her instead of along side her. It made Merlin wonder what Uther would have thought of the situation.

Knowing Uther as well as Merlin did, he wouldn't care about what happened in the battle both Merlin and Morgana would have been sentenced to death if they had survived and he would have been glad they died. It wouldn't have mattered how much Arthur decided to please for the life of his servant. The life of his servant already didn't matter to the former king when the sorceress who helped him have a son decided to poison Merlin for being in the way. It was not easy to forget that Arthur had deliberately disobeyed his father to save his servant who almost didn't make it. Hunith watched Arthur as Gwaine pounced on Merlin and the younger of the two fell down.

"I'm fine I promise," Merlin says, as Arthur rushes to his aid and to help him up. Gwaine was grinning, his secret plan was working, and he enjoyed messing around with Merlin a little bit. They were enjoying a little bit of banter brother time while they still could. No one knows what the outcome of the fight was going to be for sure. Merlin looked to his mother with a goofy grin on his face only for it to briefly turn to confusion when she hadn't realise that he was looking at her and that there were emotions on her face that Merlin couldn't quite work out himself. He didn't want to worry anyone one, so he went back to the happy, bubbly Merlin.

They went out on another patrol and were almost spotted by some of Morgana's scouts. There was no doubt that the small army that was with Morgana was going to arrive at the small village of Ealdor by night fall. All the women, children, elders and men who couldn't fight had safely made it to the nearby cave system where they would be safe until one of the knights come to give them the all clear. There were also some of those who could fight to protect them all. Morgana could be there to fight Merlin, but she could be there to destroy the village to get at Merlin and the rest of those in Camelot she felt betrayed by. Hunith was supposed to go to the caves, but she wanted to stay by her son's side.

"Hunith it's not too late to go to the caves you know," Arthur says. Merlin was a little more worried his mother was staying around , but he didn't say it. Hunith shook her head, she didn't want to leave her son. "Not a chance Arthur. I am staying with you all," she says, and Gwen stands next to her. She knew that Hunith was not going to leave and she was willing to defend her no matter what was about to happen. She knows how much Hunith means to Merlin and she would do everything it takes to keep her safe. They both know how to swing swords and defend themselves if need be.

It was shortly before nightfall when they heard the first of Morgana's men arrive on horse. Those who were on foot would surely follow behind Morgana when she eventually appeared. The knights, villagers, Merlin, Arthur and the ladies swung into action and started fighting the enemy. It was going well for them so far, the knights made short work of those initial enemies. Merlin was worried that morgana had not arrived yet, but that worry was short lived as she arrived throwing the knights to the ground with her magic as the protection squad she had with her started their attack on the villagers. She got off her horse and met Merlin in the middle of the battlefield.

They circled each other, trying to work out who was going to attack first. It was like two cats fighting for their territory. The knights scrambled to their feet to help protect the villagers and Arthur looked to the sorcerer and sorceress to see what was to happen next. "Hello Morgana," Merlin says, in his older man voice. Now everyone on the battlefield knew who he was. "Hello Emrys," Morgana says, it took her a minute to get over the shock of her greatest enemy being revealed as the King's servant. It should not have been possible, there was no way that Merlin was capable of magic let alone being strong enough to stand against her. Morgana started the fight off, with a spell that almost knocked Merlin to the ground.

It was like that for some time, each spell being more powerful than the last. All of her bodyguards and then men she had sent to fight be her side had died and the villagers watched along side the knights in awe at the two. Arthur was left speechless as spells were cast left and right. Hunith smiled as she watched her son fight with all the might she knew he would. She was happy that Arthur was finally watching her so unleash his full potential. Potential that he would never have known about if he didn't reinstate magic. There was so much about magic that Arthur was yet to learn about, and Merlin was going to be the one to teach him.

Suddenly Morgana had the upper hand, Merlin was taking more hits than he could block. Arthur was freaking out on the inside, all he had to say when the fight was over wasn't going to happen if Merlin died now. Arthur would not have long to make a decision which would change the course of the battle. He looks at his sword and then to Merlin and back again a couple of times. "MERLIN," Arthur yells, and Merlin instinctively holds his arm back as Arthur threw Excalibur towards his servant. He didn't trust anyone else with it and was relieved as Merlin caught it. Merlin then swung around in what looked like slow motion as he thrust the sword into Morgana.

With that the battle was over. Morgana was dead and Merlin was exhausted. Merlin walked over to Arthur and handed him back the sword. Arthur's instinctive reactive was to sheath his sword and to hug Merlin as tightly as he dared with the exhausted warlock. Merlin was taken by surprise, but he appreciated the hug which he had wanted for months if not years at this point. Everyone was relieved that the battle was over so that hug was replicated. Merlin was also relieved that his mother was fine as she joined the two men who were hugging. "Well done Merlin," Arthur says, and his servant just nodded in response. He just wanted to go to bed if he was honest about it.

Hunith decided that they should all stay at least one more night so that they could all get some rest before they take the long journey back to Camelot. It would take at least two days to get there and Merlin was in no fit state to go. The knights go off to get the villagers back from the cave. They decided to give Morgana a pyre funeral because she deserved that much. Arthur and Merlin decide to go back to the fallen log that they sat on the night before. Merlin was still nervous; this was the first time Arthur had really seen what Merlin was capable of. "That was incredible Merlin. I am so happy that you are on my side," Arthur says.

Merlin grinned, that was the best response he could have ever gotten from Arthur. "I'll be by your side until I die Arthur," Merlin replies. Many people have said that to Arthur over the years, he never really believed them until Merlin, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Elyan and Gwen came along. "I know you would Merlin. You have been one of the most loyal people I know. Even when you hated me in the beginning," Arthur says, and Merlin shakes his and smiles at the memory of the early days. "You were different back then. I was determined to help you become the better man you are now. That and there was a massive dragon underneath the castle that told me I had to do it," Merlin says, and Arthur laughed.

"I'm glad that massive dragon told you to do it. Looking back now, I could see that was the wakeup call I needed," Arthur says. It was good that Arthur was able to see what he was like when he was younger and how much he has changed for the better since then. "Yeah, the fruit being thrown at me all those times I was thrown in the stocks was worth it," Merlin says. They watched as all the villagers happily walked back to their now safe village. All the bodies had been disposed of and Morgana was burning on the pyre in a nearby field. Gwen was helping Hunith clean up after the fights. They had all had dinner and it was time to relax, the war was over.

"Merlin, there is something I have been meaning to tell you," Arthur says, he decided he had to say it now or he would chicken out and the truth would never be spoken. Merlin looked at Arthur, unsure what to say. He had no idea what Arthur had been meaning to tell him. They had already praised each other and reminisced. Arthur suddenly seemed unsure. He leaned closer to Merlin and gently held his chin. He then pressed his lips against Merlin's expecting no kiss back. He was shocked when Merlin kissed him back. It seemed like the kiss was all the words they needed to say. When they pulled apart they just smiled as their foreheads touched.

Hunith turned away from the window with a big smile on her face. Those two had finally admitted feelings for each other that they had been bottling for years. Even Gwen knew about it as she saw the smile on Hunith's face. "They finally kissed didn't they?" Gwen asks, and Hunith just nodded. Gwen squealed, she had plans for the two men if they had not confessed to each other before they returned to Camelot. It involved Merlin's bedroom and a locked door. Either way they were destined to be together as a couple and they would have the kingdoms support. Hunith looked out the window again as Arthur pulled Merlin in for another kiss.

_**That is the end! I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to be honest with me on your opinions. I know this is my first Merlin fan fiction ever. **_

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